Sky Bet – the new title sponsor of Ebor Handicap

Online sports betting company Sky Bet will be new sponsors of the Ebor Handicap, which will be worth £1million in 2019. A five-year deal has been struck, with this year’s race seeing a boost of 75 per cent in prize-money to £750,000 before topping the £1m mark next year.

Sky Bet has also committed to title sponsorship of the Melrose Stakes, which is regarded in the sport as the ‘three-year-old Ebor’. Prize money for this year’s race will increase by 20 per cent to £125,000. In addition, Sky Bet will continue to sponsor the Listed City of York Stakes Group Three race, with a prize fund of £180,000.

Nick Rust, chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority, commented a deal: “British racing has made its commitment to the continued production of quality staying horses well known, and this sizeable investment is another boost for owners, breeders and trainers of staying horses. We need to do more to ensure that we keep stayers in training here in Britain and reduce the number of horses being exported overseas, and a £1m Ebor in 2019 will certainly be a significant incentive, as will the increased prize money for the Melrose”.